Guardian UFO – An Unsolved Mysteries Case

Unsolved Mysteries was a TV show that, along with missing persons and unsolved crime, regularly featured UFO cases during its long run through the late 80s to the early 2000s. Fortunately, most of those episodes are freely available to watch on demand on YouTube. I thought I’d go a bit old school and run through some of these episodes to see if any more information has come to light since they were first broadcast back in the day

Starting with one of Canada’s most controversial and convoluted cases. For those unable to watch the video, then notes from the show are copied
below.

The Guardian UFO Show Notes from Unsolved Mysteries

It was August 18, 1991 close to 10pm when Diane Labenek [pictured below) of West Carleton, Ontario, Canada heard her dogs howling.

“I looked out the window and I saw flames out on the field, extremely red flames and lots of smoke. It didn’t look like a fire… I saw a ship coming down close to the flames. Right on top of the ship, I saw a blue flashing light and another light was on the bottom, very bright... I was looking at it for about 10 minutes or so. And then the ship went a little bit back over the trees and it disappeared. I saw all the flames turn out at the same time… I’ve lived here for many, many years and I have never been so scared in my life.

Diane said it entered her mind to call the police, but she worried what they would think:

“What am I going to tell them? I’m going to tell them I saw flares out there past 10 o’clock at night and there was a ship up there. And they were going to say, ‘Okay Diane, that’s fine, we’re coming over.’ So that’s why I didn’t call.”

Evidence

According to Diane, ten minutes after the lights blinked out, a helicopter appeared. It flew low over the field for a while. Then disappeared into the night. The next morning, Diane went outside to look.

“I searched everything, there was just nothing. The only person I told was my mom and my husband… who is going to believe me that this really happened? So I kept it to myself.”

In February 1992, a package arrived at the office of Bob Oechsler (a former contractor to NASA and UFO researcher). Inside were secret military documents, pictures, a map, and a VHS videotape of the incident at West Carleton.



According to Bob Oechsler:

“On the label was the name “Guardian.” And it was accompanied by a fingerprint. Guardian to me was an enigma, certainly nothing I had heard about in the UFO literature. So, it was a mystery starting from scratch.”

How did “Guardian” know where to film the UFO?

At the time, Oechsler was unaware of Diane’s sighting, but he later discovered that the video depicted her own sighting. The footage showed brightly burning red flames, similar to flares. And a dark, disk-like object emitting a bright glow from below.A rapidly strobbing blue light.on the top.
Bob Oechsler felt the tape was of an authentic event and headed for West Carleton, Ontario with UFO researcher Graham Lightfoot. They interviewed Diane who, despite not viewing the tape, was able to describe what was in the footage:

Dr. Bruce Maccabee, a U.S. Navy physicist and photo analyst, who studied UFOs for years (Ed: and I don’t think he’s ever claimed a single one was fake!) looked at the tape.

“It’s one of the clearest videos I’ve seen that shows a structured object..”

Still frame from the original Guardian video

Dr. Maccabee estimated the object to be 20 to 30 feet in diameter. According to Bob Oechsler,

“It appeared to be so large that it would not be logical to try to set all this up at night, under darkness... Clearly, if there was a hoax involved, Diane would’ve seen evidence of it in advance.”

Audio analysis of the tape revealed only the distant barking of dogs, probably Diane’s.

The craft itself seemed to be silent. There was no audible trace of power generators which, if the object was staged, would be necessary to run its massive lights.

Dr. Robert Nathan of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory reviewed the tape in a non-official capacity. He could not explain the images or dismiss the tape as a hoax:

The Canadian military denied any involvement. Bob Oechsler believed the key to the entire incident was the person using the name Guardian.

“I think Guardian has to be connected to the event in some way. I don’t see any way Guardian could’ve just happened on to this. I don’t see Guardian as a UFO investigator. Guardian is much more involved in this than the evidence even suggests, in my opinion.”

Documents packaged with the videotape alleged some wild conspiracies involving UFOs, Communist China, and nuclear weapons.

Maj. NJ Patterson of the Royal Canadian Air Force reviewed one of the documents and declared:

“This document is clearly a fabrication. There are way too many errors in the document to make it authentic. Someone with very little effort could have come a lot closer than this.”

Also on the videotape were images which Guardian claimed show an alien being. Bob Oechsler wasn’t convinced:


Still frame of alleged alien on Guardian video

“Clearly, this could've been someone dressed up in a costume. …why would anyone contaminate such an extraordinary event with fake images of alien creatures?”

“This is either an extraordinary top secret flying vehicle of somebody’s government, or it is of a non-human origin. Having no contact with Guardian is probably the biggest frustration to an investigation like this. We don’t know who Guardian is, what Guardian represents. We don’t know if Guardian was sent or went on his own. We have no idea what the solution to many of these mysteries are going to be. We may never know.”

Original episode of Unsolved Mysteries

What Wasn’t Covered in Unsolved Mysteries

There’s an awful lot that wasn’t covered in the original Unsolved Mysteries show.



Various documents in Guardian package

Canadian UFO Research Network (CUFORN) had also received a similar package from someone calling themselves 'Guardian' in 1989. Enclosed were details of a UFO crash in Carleton, Ontario some 30km form Carp. Graham Lightfoot (who featured in Unsolved Mysteries) was asked to investigate.

Diane Labenek, told him that on 4th November1989, she’d witnessed an intense, bright light pass overhead and also saw several helicopters scanning the area. However, most people he questioned saw nothing unusual. Graham Lightfoot reported;

…although I could find nothing conclusive to support or disprove any of the witnesses claims. I shall check back around the area later this summer."

Canadian MUFON directors also visited the area, spoke to the 'witnesses' and confirmed someone was "trying to put us on - a hoax!". MUFON had already felt Oechsler was unreliable after his role promoting the Gulf Breeze photos.

CUFORN and Guardian

In October 1991 CUFORN received more ‘Guardian’ 'information', including the infamous VHS videotape with a fingerprint and the word GUARDIAN printed on the label. Plus some 'Canadian Department of National Defence documents' enclosed – later proven as forgeries.


Recreated ‘Guardian’ document. Click on the picture to increase the size and make it legible


Footage of UFO from Guardian tape.

At the beginning of March '92, Bob Oechsler called CUFORN asking to meet up. Graham Lightfoot [pictured] acted as a local liaison. To cut a long story short CUFORN and Lightfoot were unimpressed by Oechsler. Who he felt was incompetent, egocentric and seemed to be creating his own narrative rather than ‘investigating’.

Especially after he supposedly said:

No matter what or how good the story is, 50% of the people will believe you, 50% won't. All you have to care about is the 50% that will….'

Oechsler also went behind their backs to get Unsolved Mysteries to cover the story. This made Lightfoot very reluctant to appear in the show. He eventually agreed, but was also unimpressed with Dr. Maccabee once filming began.

Guardian Uncovered?

In a Nov 1992 meeting, Graham Lightfoot was told that a Bobby Charlebois, had an on-going interest in UFOs and had called himself 'Guardian' for some years. Oescheler then went about scheming to get Charlebois’ fingerprint to see if it matched that on the label of the Guardian UFO tape. Diane Labenek claimed to have known Charlebois but said she was unable to obtain a fingerprint.

On February 4th 1993 Lightfoot and Oechsler went to the Labenek's where Canadian TV, interviewed Oechsler and Diane Labenek. Both told the interviewer they knew of many other witnesses. Lightfoot was confused as he’d been made aware of only a few witnesses by Oechsler. Labenek also claimed her mother and husband had later sightings near the field. Strangely Oechsler showed little interest.

On March 4th 1993, Oechsler phoned Lightfoot bragging how he’d convinced the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) to apply pressure on Charelbois for forging official documents. (He was never charged).

An RCMP complaint was lodged by the Labeneks claiming they were being 'harassed' by helicopters flying low over their property.

March 8th 1993, Labenek called Lightfoot saying she was being 'harassed' and the RCMP were encouraging her to confess and admit the ‘craft’ she saw on August 18, 1991 was a helicopter!

Labenek also claimed that Bobby 'Guardian' Charlebois was being 'harassed' by the RCMP.

The RCMP meanwhile had found no evidence of helicopters violating the law by flying low over Labenek’s home. They had found various signs bearing the words 'Defence Canada', 'Killing Fields', and a 'Test Area' sign with a hand-painted tank and 'Air-Wolf’ in a field owned by the Labenek's. The lettering-style on the signs was like those in the Guardian documents.

Bob Oechsler went on the UFO lecture circuit discussing the ‘Guardian’ case and claiming military flares had been used at the Guardian ‘landing site’. Despite the RCMP report refuting this.

Carlton University staff, UFO groups, and individual researchers all received the Guardian Material. It was suspected that Diane Labenek’s nephew, Pavel Farfara (a university student in Ottawa) had scoured computer bulletin boards for recipient's names and addresses.

Further shenanigans involving a woman called Susan Gill who claimed to being an abductee and criticisms of Dr. Macabee’s seemingly suspect analysis of UFO videos all formed part of an ever-growing story. Threats from Oechsler that he’d sue his detractors followed, but never materialized.

In Sept. 1994 Bob Oechsler attended a Florida UFO conference and distributed a letter announcing.

…As of September 1st 1994, I will be retiring from UFO research and investigation…

MUFON Ontario's Response to Oechsler's Resignation

In short, MUFON believed ‘Guardian’ to have been a long drawn out hoax.

Their conclusions were reported as follows..

This may be the first time that a self-styled 'Professional Full-Time Ufologist' quits as the result of controversy…

In his letter of resignation Oechsler writes: ..."the effects of my involvement have been quite debilitating" ... "The malicious libel, slander distortion and unchecked fabrication that runs rampant in the UFO field is destructive and counterproductive."
Interesting that Oechsler would write those words - that's the way we feel about his 'involvement' in ufology and particularly his 'work' on the Carp/Guardian Case…

… [he] told some of his close associates that he plans to lie-low until "the heat dies down" waiting for us to publish our MUFON ONTARIO REPORT ON THE CARP/GUARDIAN CASE before mounting a defence.

Oechsler seems to think that what he did will be forgotten with the passing of time and he will once again rise, Phoenix like, with yet another 'world's best UFO case'.

MUFON Ontario wants Oechsler to know that he is wrong. Serious ufologists will not forget his unscrupulous actions and we too will be there in the future to point out his reputation to newcomers.

Oechsler once called us "Those stupid fickle Canadians who don't know what they want or how to get it." But, the dogged persistence by Canadian MUFON organisations, other UFO groups and independent researchers across the country working together in uncovering the facts, accomplished what Oechsler never anticipated happening - the truth coming out. This despite the threat of libel lawsuits against our senior members, this publication, we writers, MUFON in Seguin Texas, The MUFON UFO Journal, and several individuals who helped spread this story.

We've amused ourselves by contemplating a class-action suit against Oechsler to recover monies expended by us and spent by the ufologically curious.
At no time since the Carp 'Story' broke, have Oechsler, Maccabee, the Lebeneks, Gill, or Charlebois pointed out any discrepancies in any of our findings, by letter to us, any of the UFO press or on the computer networks.

Oechsler has only bothered to tell a few individuals and MUFON Headquarters in Seguin, Texas that he was going to sue us and anybody else involved in publicizing the true story because we were "taking his livelihood away".

In conclusion our findings are as follows:
1) The Labeneks, Bobby Charlebois, Pavel Farfara and possibly others were involved in creating a Hoax video and distributing it as a recording of a 'UFO landing'.
2) That Susan Gill's story was used to pad the Carp event, even though her 'event' occurred (if at all) at a different time.
3) Oechsler used his manipulative ability to build a story even though he knew of the circumstances and exactly what was going on. Together with Bruce Maccabee, intentionally misled the public, the media and ufology using unethical means, and bad judgement in order to benefit financially and personally.
4) That the Guardian video of a 'UFO landing' has, after analysis, proved inconclusive and likely is either a pick-up truck or (according to the RCMP investigation) a helicopter.

For others these assertions were not so clear cut.

Guardian Three Decades On

Despite the Canadian UFO investigators claims to have debunked the Guardian case, the story didn’t quite become another footnote in UFO history.

CBC commissioned a documentary on the case in 2021 called 'UFO Town'. Researchers tracked down the man accused of being ‘Guardian’ (Charlebois?) but he denied any involvement in the affair. The Labenek family rent out stays on their land, advertised as “…the location of a UFO sighting and featured on Unsolved Mysteries”, but refused to comment for the documentary. Bob Oechsler passed away in June 2020 and with him any secrets he was still keeping about the case.



👽

Hi MM,

I remember seeing this episode when it came out in the early nineties, and thought at the time it was the best video ever taken of a UFO close up.

Living in Oz we didn’t hear about all the shenanigans afterward though.

Great read, thanks.

Very interesting post thank you for digging this story back up. Lots of interesting things to post out. I wonder why there is a dig on Doty on the card? seems like someone was wanting attention. With all of this in mind and the odds of it being a hoax. At this point who staged it and how? And what was motivation since no one except Oeschler could made anything from this. Sadly more questions than answers.

originally posted by: mirageman
Also on the videotape were images which Guardian claimed show an alien being. Bob Oechsler wasn’t convinced:

Still frame of alleged alien on Guardian video

“Clearly, this could've been someone dressed up in a costume. …why would anyone contaminate such an extraordinary event with fake images of alien creatures?”

As far as the purported picture of the Alien goes…..I will agree with Bob Oechsler.

To my understanding….not all faces are symmetrical, and are by enlarge asymmetrical.

I cannot overcome that the right eye/eye socket is so angularly different from the left eye/eye socket.

Below I depict the original face…notice the eyes disparity to each other. Then below that, I depict symmetrical faces view of the left eye and the right eye…..

I would expect the Alien to look like either of those two bottom views. If either one was to be true to life, of course I would expect some asymmetry in the eyes positioning….but not the eyes to look so way off as the purported alien picture…imo

Imo I don’t think the picture of the purported Alien is genuine….it just does look believable.

If hoaxed…..then the hoaxer should have spent some time reading up on facial anatomy proportions symmetry and asymmetrical eyes, mask making, special effects makeup…etc.


👽

a reply to: Ophiuchus1

Just a guess on this one. Could the being have an eyelid party closed?

a reply to: Ophiuchus1

Double

a reply to: Ophiuchus1

The alien footage isn't really very convincing. Why is it we have clearer footage from the 1900s?

The 'Guardian' back story illustrated in one of the documents is absolutely bat crazy. But quite entertaining.

I posted it as a thumbnail in the OP but here's a link to it again : files.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Krusty the Klown

I remembered it from my youth, and it was also on another show called 'Sightings'. Apparently Oechsler reneged on an agreement with Unsolved Mysteries to not speak to any other media about the case for 30 days to do that one.

But after that I never really caught up with it again until now!

a reply to: Darkstar12

I wonder why there is a dig on Doty on the card?

Yep, that is just one of a number of weird things in this case that they didn't show you in the TV show.

As you say, more questions than answers.

a reply to: mirageman


Excellent read and a great overall idea for a thread(s); I look forward to more.


Funnily enough, I was thinking "Pickup truck?" whilst watching 'Guardian''s video, albeit a truck tarted-up to match more 'alien' expectations. Overall, it does seem like an elaborate hoax cooked up by the various parties, including - as ever - some average-to-above-average acting skills from the main witness.

The hoaxers seemed to shoot themselves in the foot, especially with the ridiculous accompanying documentation and dodgy alien video that, by comparison, makes the 'Skinny Bob' saga seem spectacular.

Definitely a case of Too Much info when just a little info would have seemed so much more intriguing - as it was before 'Guardian' even appeared on the scene. They overcooked their goose!

a reply to: mirageman

MM….what’s the direct source…links, etc… of the Guardian Document and what month and year was it supposed to have been written?

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a reply to: Ophiuchus1

I never saw an alien with hands the size of Mike Tyson's. Plus, his eyes are kind of crooked.

All I can say is they call that show Unsolved Mysteries for nothing.

The Guardian sounds like the average Don Quixote, Paul Bennewitz style---I’m going to expose and defeat the alien menace---troubadour.

I tell you ---strange--what UFOs have wrought!

Bob Oechsler is the ufologist who bugged some ex-government military guy, a physicist, I think (can’t remember his name), who it is claimed was involved in crash retrievals. Admiral Bobby Inman---the high-level spook-- turned him on to this person, and he subsequently bugged him and actually got some interesting admissions from these ex-spooks.
Eventually, they backed off from him.

Here’s an old YouTube of his famous phone call with Admiral Inman
www.youtube.com...

You’ll notice he asked about vehicles, not necessarily alien vehicles. Inman may have thought he meant recovered soviet crafts.

originally posted by: Ophiuchus1
a reply to: mirageman

MM….what’s the direct source…links, etc… of the Guardian Document and what month and year was it supposed to have been written?

👽

Only the person who created the original documents knows when they were written. All we know is a copy of the original 'letter' distributed in 1989 is not available online as far as I know. Although the contents can be read here:

Documents Received from Guardian in 1989

The video did not appear until 1991. Filmed on 18th August 1991 if the Unsolved Mysteries segment was accurate. Which is when the case gained publicity.

The photocopies of other documents were contained in :

MUFON Ontario Newsletter 1.1

Further reports on the case continued in

MUFON Ontario Newsletter 1.2

And

MUFON Ontario Newsletter 1.3

a reply to: ConfusedBrit

Definitely a case of Too Much info when just a little info would have seemed so much more intriguing - as it was before 'Guardian' even appeared on the scene. They overcooked their goose!

The first incident in 1989 was dismissed by Canadian ufologists as a poor attempt at a hoax. Strangely Diane Labenek claimed she saw a UFO in November of 1989, mentioning her husband was out fetching some milk. When a repeat performance occurred in August 1991, her husband was once again out fetching some milk (at 10pm at night).

The UFO on the ground could not be seen from the roads surrounding. Which begs the question of who was actually in the right place with a video camera to see this 'UFO' and be able to film it?

I don't know about you, but back in 1991, even if I owned a video camera, then it would be one of the last things I'd have taken with me to fetch some milk on a late night shopping trip.

But I don't think that logic rules out Mr. Labenek in this case.

When I first read this, I thought about a UFO incident I recently read about where the wife saw a ufo and took out her cell phone and recorded it, and at the same time, her husband coming home saw the same ufo and took out his cell phone and snapped pictures---so they had two videos…
Here, the story sounds so similar.

It reeks of a planned hoax.


And why do they assume this guardian is one person